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Plot Summary of Volume 2: Horus
Background Volume 2 takes three years after the events of Volume 1. Fenrir Snow has successfully aided Iris Lawton in escaping Primm, reporting a false report to Don Leons. A year later, the truth comes out, and Snow goes into hiding with Lawton to avoid persecution from both the United Species Alliance and the Brotherhood of Wolves. Leons is demoted. Fenrir Snow's militaristic family has fallen to disgrace within the Brotherhood, and they'd like nothing more than to find their brother, turn him in as a traitor to reclaim their glory. However, Iris Lawton is little more than an afterthought to the Alliance. HORUS, the Human Organization Reestablishing Untainted Society, has been found. They are the creators of the halfkind species. The Alliance sends the best team out there, Company Manticore, learning from their mistakes last time. And so the three stories intersect until all their paths cross. Plot Summary Build Up and Back Stories Volume 2 spends the first part of the book focusing on 3 separate back stories which lead to the later acts in the book where the 3 stories converge. ''Iris Lawton and HORUS'' It is revealed that since Operation Halfkinds, Iris has been living in a cabin within the Wolf’s Den. Fenrir and Iris share a mutual bond with each other, and care one another greatly. One day, when Fenrir is out hunting for food, Iris is knocked out and abducted by Bastion, a cat-human hybrid who is HORUS's top agent. Bastion has access to advanced, portable teleportation devices, and is able to make a quick getaway before Fenrir even notices. Once Iris arrives at HORUS, she awakes and meets Bastion, Lionel Changer, and Lucy. There she is given an orientation and told about the origin of HORUS, history about Maya Lawton and of the creation of halfkinds, or hybrids. She is then put through some exams and physicals by Lucy in order for Changer to understand more about her gifts. Changer's intention is to use hybrids to reclaim the world for humanity. He is a human supremacist and wishes for humans to eradicate the intelligent animals of this world. He believes that humans are at disadvantage now that animals possess physical and mental advantages over humans, and the only way that humans can even the field is by gaining those same physical advantages that the animals have. Changer is also aware of Iris's precognitive abilities, and wishes to enhance and exploit them for his plans. After Lucy's examinations, Iris is put through a painful procedure to do just that, increase her powers. However, before Lionel can continue his next steps, Company Manticore begins their attack. ''Brock West and Company Manticore'' Brock West spends most of the first half of the novel prepping for Operation Horus. He is sent directly from Allied City. Upon his arrival, he gets briefed by Don Leons then departs with Company Manticore to set up camp just outside Horus Headquarters. Once his crew lands and settles down, he goes over a detailed run through of the agenda with his teammates. HORUS HQ is settled underground, so West divides his team into two for his attack: a surface team, and a below surface team. The below surface's team's job is to penetrate the underground walls of HORUS and hack into their systems to disable security and drone programs so the surface team can enter from above. The surface team consists of West, Arrow Ingle, Sol Kimba, and Tatsu Kanji. The below surface team consists of Joe Waylon, Andy Clipper, and Eli Winde. Bill John and Grodd Arbock remain at the campsite to give directive. ''The Snow Family'' After it was discovered that Fenrir Snow had lied about his role in aiding Iris Lawton and subsequent disappearance, The Brotherhood of Wolves punished the remaining Snow family members as Fenrir is not present to be punished. They are stripped of their military rank and banned from service. The Snows are disgraced, out of a job, and now thirsty to find their missing brother in order to turn him in and get back into the Brotherhood's good graces. The family, lead by Fang Snow, eventually track their brother down to Iris and Fenrir's Cabin and confront their brother. At this point, Iris has already been abducted by Bastion, and after an exchange of words, Fenrir battles his siblings, defeating them. The Snows recover and hunt him down to the Bay Area, where Fenrir has gone to search for Iris. They once again track him just outside of HORUS, and battle him once more. Once again Fenrir prevails, but both sides receive injuries. A weary Fenrir makes it to HORUS HQ, and once more his family tracks him, following into the headquarters, where Brock West has already started his assault. Attack on HORUS Brock West begins his assault by having his two teams attack on the surface and underground simultaneously. His teams are able to navigate through HORUS, killing personnel and hybrids alike. Meanwhile, Lionel Changer watches helplessly from his office while he is with Lucy. With his facility being invaded and seized, he decides to escape with Lucy to the transportation bay. He plans to flee to the Horus Backup Island, which is just that, a backup facility on an undisclosed island that he had created in case of such emergencies. However, he is insists to find Iris among the chaos before he leaves, as she is still vital to his plans. Iris was recovering from her implant procedure prior to West's attack. Bastion visits her right when West launches his operation, and the two are forced to work together to survive. Iris is still distrustful of Bastion due to his role in kidnapping her. She also has a grudge against HORUS due to the abduction and unwanted surgical procedure. However, they are a competent team. Iris, bestowed more enhanced abilities, is able to use them to evade and even defeat one of Brock's teammates, Arrow Ingle. Simultaneously, Fenrir enters HORUS HQ, and treads silently in search for Iris. He encounters a Company Manticore team member, Joe Waylon, and after a small skirmish, Fenrir is able to defeat him. He continues on his quest, with the rest of the Snows also on his trail. Changer, Lucy, Iris, and Bastion finally meet up with each other and head to the transportation bay to flee. However, on the way, the encounter another Manticore teammate, Andy Clipper. Clipper is able to critically injure Lionel Changer and knocks out Bastion. Fortunately, Fenrir Snow has made it to Iris, and intervenes, and Clipper is killed. Lionel Changer cannot be saved, and tells the surviving members to go. After they leave, he is discovered by Brock West, and after a small discussion about humans' roles in society, is killed by West. West, unaware of Fenrir and Iris's presence, calls the mission as over. They are able to take one HORUS member, Mark Allen, as a prisoner. Iris, Lucy, Fenrir, and an unconcious Bastion make it to the transportation bay and fire up a teleporter. However, Fang Snow and her brothers has catches up to the four, and Fenrir has one final battle against his family. Lucy is able to drag Bastion through the teleporter, but Iris refuses to leave. After an intense fight, Fenrir is able to take out three of his brothers, but Fang Snow unexpectedly gets the upper hand against Fenrir. She then targets her sights on Iris, but before she can attack, Fenrir bravely pushes Iris through the teleporter and detonates a grenade, blasting himself and Fang in the process. Iris makes it to the other side, thousands of miles away from HORUS HQ, on the island, saddened and stunned at the events that unfolded. Brock West reports his mission to his Alliance superior General Rox. He notes that they discovered the destroyed transportation bay, and found 2 comatose wolves in the wreckage. He also reveals that he completed his objective, to not only destroy HORUS, but also collect Changer's research including tech developments and implant blueprints. Some years later, it is revealed that Iris, Lucy, and Bastion live on the island, and Iris has given birth to a baby girl named Ivy.